How charming is Watercabinet, a new potting table “station” for a small gardens, terraces, or balconies, that brings everything related to gardening together in one place? I love its integrated rain water collection system and mini greenhouse.

Like many others, I am making the effort to be more water conscious, which is why I was attracted to this second place winner in the garden unique YoungStar competition at the design and gardening trade fair spoga+gafa in Cologne.

Created by Dutch designer Francien Hazen, the unit collects and stores rainwater by connecting directly to the home’s downspout, the vertical pipe that carries rainwater from a rain gutter to property’s ground level.

Using the incorporated faucet, one can pump water directly from Watercabinet’s integrated rain barrel to fill a bucket or watering can for irrigating herbs and plants growing in its small integrated small greenhouse. There’s even a storage area for garden tools and equipment.

The designer’s approach to a common problem won over all the garden unique judges who loved how Watercabinet turns “ordinary, unattractive garden butts (rain barrels) into multi-functional water stations.” Now if it only included a composter too…